Pope Praises Devotion Of Moslems

August 20, 1985|By United Press International

CASABLANCA — Pope John Paul II, on the final day of his 12-day African tour, on Monday praised some aspects of Islam and urged members of Morocco's Roman Catholic minority to live in harmony with their Moslem brothers.

The pontiff, scheduled to return to Rome early today, exchanged greetings with King Hassan II at Casablanca airport.

The Polish-born pontiff celebrated an outdoor Mass for some of Morocco's 64,000 Roman Catholics, who make up less than 1 percent of the population in the mainly Moslem nation.

During the Mass, John Paul praised ''many aspects'' of the Islamic faith -- love of a single God, obedience to God's laws and ''the simplicity of life and the generosity toward the poor practiced by devout Moslems.''

He also praised Morocco's history of religious tolerance and urged Catholics to maintain that harmony by living in peace with the Moslems.

''The Christian faithful to the gift of love banishes every arrogance, every egoism,'' John Paul said. ''He rejects intolerance toward customs different than his. Work for the good of all. Work for the common good, in a climate of respect for all.''

Vatican aides traveling with the pope said the Moroccan visit is an attempt to reopen dialogue between Catholics and Moslems, crippled in recent years by the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in the Moslem world.

Morocco is the last stop on a seven-nation tour that also took the pope to Togo, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Zaire and Kenya.

John Paul on Sunday condemned apartheid, appealed for aid for famine victims in drought-stricken Africa and pleaded for African governments to respect the human rights of their citizens.